Make mine a pint of rhubarb and custard - brewers get ready for Wakefield Festival of Food, Drink and Rhubarb

NEWSPAPER: Wakefield Express.'STORY: Fernandes Brewery Tap brewer, Steve Hutchinson (based in the Brewhouse by the side of the pub), is preparing a special one off Rhubarb & Custard beer for the forthcoming rhubarb festival.'The picture shows Steve starting to add finely chopped Wakefield rhubarb to one of the brewing vats.'PHOTOGRAPHER: Andrew Bellis.

Published:07:00Sunday 15 February 2015

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Award-winning brewers have come up with a bevy of apt ales for this year’s rhubarb festival.

Brewers from Kirkgate, Outwood and Hemsworth have each made three different beers from the herbaceous perennial.

Steve Hutchinson, of Fernandes Brewery, has created Rhubarb and Custard for the big event next weekend.

“I make a rhubarb beer every year and have done for the past eight years. Rhubarb is a nice ingredient to brew with as long as you don’t boil it to death. You add it towards the back end of the boil and you get all the fruitiness out of it.

“This time I’ve used quite a lot. I’ve used over 30 lbs of rhubarb.”

He has also used American and English hops to give it citrus notes. The vanilla pods are chopped up and then dropped into the individual casks.

The beer will be available throughout the Ossett Brewery pub estate, which includes Fernandes Brewery Tap on Avison Yard Kirkgate.

Rhubarb and Custard will also be available at the Bier Huis stall during the festival.

The pop up stall will also feature rhubarb beers from Five Towns Brewery, of Leeds Road, Outwood and Hamelsworde Brewery, of Hemsworth.

Five Towns’ owner Malcolm Bastow has brewed his annual Roo Barb beer, which is made with Australian hops.

He also brews a semi-regular rhubarb and ginger beer for the Unicorn Pub in Carlton, in the heart of the rhubarb triangle.